Osteospermum plant named ‘Vient Flamingo’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Osteospermum  plant named ‘Vient Flamingo’, characterized by its compact, semi-upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; freely flowering habit; large daisy-type inflorescences with yellow-colored ray florets with red purple-colored venation; and good garden performance.

Botanical designation: Osteospermum ecklonis.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Vient Flamingo’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum plant, botanically known as Osteospermum ecklonis, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Vient Flamingo’.

The new Osteospermum is a naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Seikilrem’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,407. The new Osteospermum was discovered and selected by the Inventors as a single flowering plant within a population of plants of ‘Seikilrem’ in a controlled greenhouse environment in Isegaki, Gunma, Japan in May, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Osteospermum by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Isegaki, Gunma, Japan since January, 2007, has shown that the unique features of this new Osteospermum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Osteospermum have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of the new Osteospermum. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Vient Flamingo’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Osteospermum:

-   -   1. Compact, semi-upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant         habit.     -   2. Freely branching growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Large daisy-type inflorescences with yellow-colored ray         florets with red purple-colored venation.     -   5. Good garden performance.

Plants of the new Osteospermum differ from plants of the parent, ‘Seikilrem’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum have entire leaf margins         whereas plants of ‘Seikilrem’ have serrated leaf margins.     -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Osteospermum and         ‘Seikilrem’ differ in ray floret color as plants of ‘Seikilrem’         have bright yellow-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Osteospermum can be compared to plants of the Osteospermum ‘Seipepan’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,213. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Isegaki, Gunma, Japan, plants of the new Osteospermum differed from plants of ‘Seipepan’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Osteospermum are not as upright as plants         of ‘Seipepan’.     -   2. Plants of the new Osteospermum had smaller leaves than plants         of ‘Seipepan’.     -   3. Plants of the new Osteospermum had entire leaf margins         whereas plants of ‘Seipepan’ had serrated leaf margins.     -   4. Plants of the new Osteospermum had shorter, but broader ray         florets than plants of ‘Seipepan’.     -   5. Ray florets of plants of the new Osteospermum and ‘Seipepan’         differed in ray floret color as plants of ‘Seipepan’ had light         orange-colored ray florets.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Osteospermum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Osteospermum.

The photograph on the first sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Vient Flamingo’ grown in a container.

The photograph on the second sheet is a close-up view of a typical inflorescence of ‘Vient Flamingo’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The aforementioned photographs, following observations and measurements describe plants grown in 15-cm containers in Toyota-city, Aichi, Japan during the late winter/early spring in a greenhouse and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Osteospermum production. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were pinched one time and were three months old when the photographs and description were taken. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 10° C. to 30° C., night temperatures ranged from 8° C. to 10° C. and light levels averaged 50,000 lux.

-   Botanical classification: Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Vient Flamingo’. -   Parentage: Naturally-occurring whole plant mutation of the     Osteospermum ecklonis ‘Seikilrem’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.     13,407. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 12 days at 25° C.         -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at 15° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 20 days             at 25° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 27 days             at 15° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Plant form/growth habit.—Compact, semi-upright, outwardly             spreading and mounded plant habit. Inflorescences positioned             well above the foliar plane. Moderately vigorous growth             habit.         -   Plant height.—About 25 cm.         -   Plant diameter.—About 30 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Quantity per plant: Freely branching             habit, about 12 to 14 lateral branches per plant. Length:             About 30 cm. Diameter: About 3.4 mm. Internode length: About             2 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture: Densely pubescent. Color:             Close to 145A.         -   Foliage description.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple;             sessile. Length: About 2.7 cm. Width: About 1.34 cm. Shape:             Spatulate. Apex: Obtuse. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous;             pubescence at the margins. Venation pattern: Pinnate. Color:             Developing foliage, upper and lower surface: Close to 137A.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: Close to 137A;             midrib, close to 144B; lateral veins, close to 137B. Fully             expanded foliage, lower surface: Close to 137B; venation,             close to 143B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Daisy-type inflorescence form with ligulate to             oblong-shaped ray florets. Inflorescences positioned above             the foliage, arising from leaf axils. Disc and ray florets             developing acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face             mostly upright. Freely flowering habit; about 20             inflorescences and inflorescence buds per plant.             Inflorescences persistent. Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—In Japan, plants of the new Osteospermum             flower continuously throughout the spring. Early flowering             habit, plants begin flowering about eight weeks after             planting. Inflorescences last about one week on the plant.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About             1.2 cm. Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 138A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5.14 cm. Depth (height):             About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 7 mm. Receptacle height:             About 1 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.7 cm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2.6 cm. Width: About 6.5 mm.             Shape: Ligulate to oblong. Apex: Broadly acute. Base:             Attenuate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; satiny. Orientation: Initially             upright and with development, perpendicular to the peduncle.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 20 in a             single whorl; ray florets imbricate. Color: When opening and             fully opened, upper surface: Close to 10A; venation, close             to 70B. When opening and fully opened, lower surface: Close             to 153B.         -   Disc florets.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: Towards the             apex, about 1.5 mm; towards the base, about 1 mm. Shape:             Tubular with five lobes at the apex. Apex: Acute. Number of             disc florets per inflorescence: About 74. Color, immature             and mature: Apex: Close to 79A. Mid-section: Close to 155D.             Base: Close to 149D.         -   Phyllaries.—Length About 1.2 cm. Width: About 2 mm. Shape:             Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper surface: Pubescent. Texture, lower surface:             Smooth, glabrous. Quantity per inflorescence: About 17;             phyllaries imbricate. Color, upper and lower surfaces: Close             to 137B.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 1.5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm.             Strength: Strong. Texture: Pubescent. Orientation: Terminal             peduncle, erect; lower peduncles, about 45° to 60° from             vertical. Color: Close to 145A.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Present on disc florets             only. Filament length: Less than 1 mm. Anther shape: Oblong.             Anther length: About 1 mm. Anther color: Close to 103A.             Pollen amount: Scarce. Pollen color: Close to 23A.             Gynoecium: Present on ray florets only. Pistil length: About             7 mm. Stigma color: Close to 77A. Style length: About 5 mm.             Style color: Close to 83D. Ovary color: Close to 145A.         -   Seeds/fruit.—Seed and fruit development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have not     been shown to be resistant to pathogens and pests common to     Osteospermums. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Osteospermum have been     observed to have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind     and temperatures ranging from about 5° C. to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Osteospermum plant named ‘Vient Flamingo’ as illustrated and described. 